Emanuel says talks with Blagojevich appropriate

AP ^ | Jan 18 2009 | Associated Press

[malkee]

Barack Obama's chief of staff says Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich did not ask for anything improper in their discussions about Obama's Senate successor.

Aide Rahm Emanuel says he talked with Blagojevich (bluh-GOY'-uh-vich) and the governor's ex-chief of staff about the type of person who should replace Obama. But Emanuel says he never got the impression that Blagojevich wanted anything improper in return for naming a replacement.

The Illinois House impeached Blagojevich last week. Federal authorities have accused Blagojevich of scheming to benefit by selling Obama's old Senate seat to the highest bidder.

Blagojevich did appoint former Illinois Attorney Genera; Roland Burris, who was sworn as a senator last week. Burris had no connection to the scandal.

[malkee]

Well, I guess the scandal has blown over now that Rahm is on "Meet the Press."

[Gaffer]

Let’s hear for ourselves on the tapes from the FBI and let us interpret what was appropriate or not.

[lilylangtree]

I didn’t believe anything would happen to Rahm and his corrupt dealings because MSM is still enthralled over obozo & his regime that “anything negative turns into positive” because that’s the way MSM wants.

[clintonh8r]

Everything’s fine....good to know!

[originalbuckeye]

IIRC, I heard there were earlier tapes where Emmanuel had told Blago that his wife could get a couple of appointments to corporate boards but it would have to wait 2 years. That way it wouldn't look ‘funny’. I suspect that the 0bamunists were onto Fitzgerald and called the latter time to say there wouldn't be any pay for play. Those in Illinois, R and D, will do everything in their power to protect the 0bamunist.

[EagleUSA]

Get used to it. No matter what happens, even another 9/11, it will not be the fault of Obama and his mob. The MSM will see to that. These thugs can do no wrong — it’s cliche now, but “they are too big to fail...”

[Tarpon]

I assume that telling the governor that Osama-Obama will get his wife a really good paying board position is what all people do when they want to bribe the governor?

And how exactly was Obama going to line up that paying board position? You think it may have involved favors or payoffs to some so called donor with taxpayer funds?

Sounds like a clear case of quid pro quo to me.

I want to hear the tapes.

[malkee]

Here's the transcript.

GREGORY: You haven’t talked about your role with regard to the communications between the Obama team. You haven’t talked about it publicly; I know you’ve obviously cooperated with everybody who’s asked you.

And there was an internal report which specified that you had two calls with Governor Blagojevich and four calls with his chief of staff, John Harris. This had to do with who might succeed the president-elect in his Senate seat.

What was the nature of those conversations?

EMANUEL: As described in the document we made public, we talked in general about the right type of people that could be served as U.S. senator. And those are the conversations you would have with the chief of staff, and they’re all the appropriate conversations.

GREGORY: At any point during those discussions with either Governor Blagojevich or with his chief of staff, did you get the impression or the distinct impression that he wanted something in return for acceding...

EMANUEL: No.

GREGORY: ... to the recommendation of the president-elect?

EMANUEL: No.

GREGORY: Nothing at all?

EMANUEL: No.

GREGORY: In the criminal complaint, it indicates that Blagojevich said that he knows that the president-elect wants a certain Senate candidate for the Senate seat, but “they’re not willing to give me anything except appreciation” -- expletive -- “them.”

Why would he say that if there would -- hadn’t been some discussion about whether he’d get anything besides appreciation?

EMANUEL: Well, I -- you know, I -- if you need to, we can always make sure that Governor Blagojevich gets on the show. You need to ask him.

(LAUGHTER)

GREGORY: OK. This is what Majority Leader Harry Reid said on this program two weeks ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HARRY REID, D-NEV., SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: Blagojevich obviously is a corrupt individual. I think that’s pretty clear.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GREGORY: Do you agree with that?

EMANUEL: Well, you know, first of all, you’ve got to -- the U.S. state -- rather, the state Senate in Illinois is now in the middle of their impeachment hearings. You have an ongoing investigation. That’s what the grand jury and the jury is going to decide, if it goes to trial.

GREGORY: But...

EMANUEL: It would, it would be wrong, it would be wrong for me to make any judgment like that. You know, there’s a...

GREGORY: Right.

EMANUEL: There’s a governor who is obviously in the middle of impeachment hearings that are going to be...

GREGORY: You’re going to withhold judgment?

EMANUEL: No, it’s just -- it wouldn’t be appropriate. I have my own personal views, and that’s not what I’m here to show -- share with you.

GREGORY: OK.

EMANUEL: OK...

GREGORY: Should Harry Reid have withheld judgment, do you think, as majority leader?

EMANUEL: No, I’m not going to -- that’s for Harry -- that’s for Harry Reid , the Senate majority leader. He expressed his role. I have a different position, as a former -- I mean, David, it’s self- evident, I have a different position, as a former member of Congress from the state of Illinois.

He was -- he was the governor when I was a member of Congress. He used to hold the seat. I’m now chief of staff to the president. I’m not going to do that. That would be crazy.

[relictele]

Robot Rahm keeping up his act.

The president made a mistake but is focused on the future and leading this country....*click*...The president made a mistake but is focused on the future and leading this country....*click*...

[Liz]

With Cowboy Bill down the tubes up to his chaps in corruption, and now Geithner flling out official forms to get IMF reimbursements for taxes Geithner says he "forgot" to pay..........I say Thank God Obaba appointed to his admin somebody like Rahm Emanuel, who is the epitome of perfection AND who paid all his taxes.

Rahm was voted "Mr Perfect" by Democrat candidates looking for donations from financial outfits. Rahm had and amazing career path while he was paying his taxes---a straight-to-the-top trajectory. Rahm did it all by hisself .....AND he paid all his taxes (sniffle).

RAHM'S EFFORTLESS RISE TO THE TOP WHILE PAYING HIS TAXES

"Mr Perfect" resigned his position as an advisor to Bill Clinton, in 1998 to become a Wall Street investment banker with Wasserstein Perella, (now Dresdner Kleinwort), where he worked until 2002. In 1999, "Mr Perfect" became managing director at their Chicago office. According to Congressional disclosures, Emanuel made $16.2 million in his 2 1/2 year stint as a banker AND he paid all his taxes.

Amazingly, "Mr Perfect" became a multi-millioniare overnight----and he wasn't even voted "Most Likely To Succeed" (sniffle). And he paid all his taxes.

At Wasserstein Perella, where he paid all his taxes. Mr Perfect worked on eight deals, including the acquisition by Commonwealth Edison of Peco Energy and the purchase by GTCR Golder Rauner of the SecurityLink home security unit from SBC.

Rahm then ran for Congress; luckily members of the securities and investment industry became his biggest backers, donating more than $1.5M to his campaigns dating back to 2002, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Mr Perfect also leaned heavily upon the industry as 2006 Dem Congressional Campaign Committee Chair. Financial industry donors contributed more than $5.8M to the Dem committee, behind only retirees.

Pres Bill Clinton in 2000 named Mr Perfect to the Board of Directors for the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("Freddie Mac"). Rahm's position paid him $31,060 in 2000 and $231,655 in 2001 and paid all his taxes. During the time Emanuel spent on the board, Freddie Mac was plagued with scandals involving campaign contributions and accounting irregularities. The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) later accused the board of having "failed in its duty to follow up on matters brought to its attention." Emanuel resigned from the board in 2001 when he ran for Congress.

=====================================

In between Rahm's career choices, he won a coveted scholarship to the prestigious Joffrey School of Ballet; he was that good in a tutu.There was just one LITTLE problem.

"We double checked with The Joffrey School of Ballet."

" Rahm solved that problem by stuffing a rolled-up sock in his leotard."

=======================================

Golly, selfless, altruistic Rahm even found time to serve with (or in) the Israeli military. Jeepers, can you believe Obaba has not responded to these Islamic smears that Rahm has had to endure (sniffle). Here's some helpful hints so that Obaba can respond (depending, of course, on which version of Rahm's story he believes):

SELFLESS RAHM HAS GIVEN OUT THIS VERSION He did not serve in the Israeli army. He was a civilian volunteer assisting the Israel Defense Forces during the 1991 Gulf War, repairing truck brakes in one of Israel's northern bases.

ALTRUISTIC RAHM HAS GIVEN OUT THIS VERSION, AS WELL During the 1991 Gulf War, Israel was asked by the United States not to militarily respond to the Scud missiles that Iraq was hurling at them. Israel did not .........and Rahm was in Israel to assist them in not responding militarily.

Obaba can settle this Islamic smear jihad ONCE AND FOR ALL. Obaba should obtain copies of Rahn's paychecks paychecks to demonstrate that payments to Rahm were NOT coming out of the IDF military budget. Cause if they did, that would wipeout Rahm's US citizenship (bawl).

[444Flyer]

Rahm was in hiding.

Now he's emboldened. He thinks the storm has passed with 0 in less than a day and half away and the Justice Department for their taking.

[K-oneTexas]

I think we need to gird our loins and prepare for the coming “WHITEWASH”!

[malkee]

He thinks the storm has passed with 0 in less than a day and half away and the Justice Department for their taking.

Yes, and are we taking bets on how long it will be before we get the news that Fitzgerald is being jettisoned?

[malkee]

Alas, tomorrow is a holiday, so there’s no hope we’ll awake to find Rahm is being indicted....

[SeaHawkFan]

Blago isn’t going down alone. Rahm is going with him; and likely others. Obama-Rezko real estate deal could get Obama prosecuted or impeached.

[fiodora]

I really hope so!!

[Spaulding]

Unfortunately, with Fitzgerald on the leading edge, protecting Democrats, nothing will happen to any of them. Only the complete destruction of the incomes of Soros and the other power brokers behind the scenes will make change we can believe in. It may well happen, and tens of millions of lives will be economically destroyed. The further destruction of ‘free’ elections by the newly enriched thugs of Acorn will keep the Messiah for two terms, and, if the control of congress goes just a bit further, Obama will be president-for-life. We are headed for a crisis,perhaps appropriately from the similarities suggested by the press, to what Lincoln faced.

[blueplum]

Rahm is back from Africa oh so very quietly

[PhilCollins]

The special election. to replace Emanuel, has one conservative, Rosanna Pulido, the founder and director of the Illinois Minuteman Project, and I’m her campaign manager. She’s pro-life and pro-gun rights. Please read her site, www.rosannapulido2009.com. If you know anyone who wants to help her, by volunteering or donating, please ask them to email me at philacollins@yahoo.com.